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Scaling of Infiltration and Redistribution of Water across Soil Textural Classes
Author(s) -
Kozak Joseph A.,
Ahuja Lajpat R.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj2004.0085
Subject(s) - infiltration (hvac) , soil water , hydraulic conductivity , soil science , pressure head , environmental science , pedotransfer function , scaling , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , materials science , mechanical engineering , engineering , composite material , geometry
Results with an empirically based one‐parameter model showed that the pore‐size distribution index (λ) described in the Brooks and Corey formulation of soil hydraulic properties can scale the soil–water retention curves below the air‐entry pressure head (ψ b ) values across dissimilar soils. It is shown here that ψ b and saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K s ) are also strongly related to λ, and thus all hydraulic parameters may be estimated from λ. The major objective here was to examine how these relationships to λ lead to relationships for infiltration and soil water contents during redistribution across soil textural classes. The Root Zone Water Quality Model simulated infiltration for four rainfall intensities and two initial pressure head conditions and redistribution for four initial wetting depths and two initial pressure head conditions in 11 textural class mean soils. All infiltration results across textural classes were scaled quite well by using the λ‐derived normalization variables based on the dimensional analysis of the Green–Ampt model. Thus, if infiltration for one soil (λ) is known, infiltration for other soils (λs) can be estimated. Additionally, we present infiltration, as well as redistribution, as explicit functions of λ. These functions can be used to approximately estimate infiltration and soil water contents across soil types for other soils and conditions by interpolation. This study enhances our understanding of the soil–water relationships among soil textural classes, and hopefully, provides a basis of further studies under field conditions for (i) estimating spatial variability of soil water for site‐specific management and (ii) for scaling up results in modeling from plots to fields to watersheds.